1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to the windrowing art, and more particularly relates to a windrowing machine for rollable articles such as fruit or the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Windrowing machines for citrus fruit or the like are known in the art. One such machine is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,762,140 which issued to Donald P. Block on Oct. 2, 1973 and is assigned to the assignee of the present invention. The Block machine includes a main rake and a slide rake both of which are rotated about generally horizontal axes to move the articles into a windrow. The slide rake is reciprocated into and out of the tree row centerline, and because certain fruit near the tree row centerline are at times exposed to downwardly moving rake tines of the slide rake at the outer end of the slide rake, a certain amount of this fruit may become impaled by the tines. The varying contour of the ground over which the elongated rows of tines of the Block windrower moves also presents a problem since even though the rakes are supported to best follow the contour of the ground, some spots intermediate the ends of the rows of tines are at times much lower than the average contour and accordingly the tines may pass over some fruit or impale or otherwise damage fruit lying in the recess. Another windrowing machine which was developed prior to the present invention includes a plurality of aligned rotary brushes each of which is carried by a support frame on a tractor and each of which is arranged to be rotated about a corresponding generally vertical shaft to move articles engaged by the brushes into a windrow. Each vertical shaft is mounted at the end of a separate support arm that is pivotally connected to said support frame, and the attached brush is supported at ground level by a rotary concave disc which rests on the surface of the ground.